ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, November 23, 1996 TAG: 9611250161
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY STAFF WRITER
A Clifton Forge nursing home has lost its Medicaid eligibility, forcing 35 of its residents to find new places to live.
Shenandoah Manor Nursing Home in Clifton Forge failed a state health department inspection this week. The home had been put on probation after earlier inspections that found a variety of patient care violations including excessive use of patient restraints, insufficient control of bedsores and failure to contain patients suffering from Alzhemier's.
Although patients don't have to move until Dec. 22, the LOA Area Agency on Aging urged families Friday to find new homes for their relatives. The LOA operates the state's Long-Term Care Ombudsman program and had counselors at the home Friday to meet with residents and family members.
"We really are encouraging families to begin looking immediately for alternative care because it's going to be difficult to find, particularly if they want to stay in the Alleghany Highlands," said LOA spokesman Kevin McCullough.
A list of homes that have vacancies will be prepared by his office by Monday, he said. A meeting for families of residents has been set for 7 p.m. Monday at the Clifton Forge Firehouse. Representatives from the Department of Medical Assistance Services, which administers the Medicaid program, will be at the meeting.
An ombudsman also can be reached this weekend through a special hot line established by Metrocall of Roanoke. Persons should call (800) 767-3393 and enter pager number 3398, wait for the beep and then enter the telephone number the ombudsman should call.
Shenandoah Manor is the second Virginia nursing home to lose Medicaid funding in recent months. The other was in Richmond.
The Roanoke management company hired by the state to get the Richmond home back into compliance recently was hired to do the same by Shenandoah Manor's owners.
There was too much to accomplish in the time involved, though, said Deborah Petrine of Colonial Care management company in Roanoke.
"The facility has made tremendous improvement," Petrine said.
But since the facility was already on probation, improvements were not enough for it to pass inspection, she said.
LENGTH: Short : 49 lines KEYWORDS: 2DAby CNB